Tearing strip container with internal seal



April 2a, 1953 w. J. DOBBINS 3RD 2,636,638

TEARING STRIP CONTAINER WITH INTERNAL SEAL Filed April 7. 1952 11 I Iv INVENTOR.

W/M. 7E? JDOBB/Mifm yfaw/na. yxfqcmm ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 28, 1953 TEARING STRIP CONTAINER WITH INTERNAL SEAL Walter J. Dobbins 3rd, Little Falls; N. J assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 7, 1952, Serial No; 280,987

' 4 Claims. I

The present invention relates to sheet metal tearing strip containers or cans and has particular reference to an improved internal collar which seals the container even after removal of the tearing strip.

An object of the invention is the provision of a tearing strip interior collar can wherein the detachable reclosure portion of the can is fitted with an internal collar carrying a resilient sealing ring engaging against the inner surface of the side wall of the can body to seal off the contents of the can from the outside atmosphere prior to and subsequent to the initial opening of the can thereby protecting the contents of the can both before and after the can is opened and also when the detachable portion of the can is used as a reclosure.

Another object is the provision of such a tearing strip interior collar can wherein the tearing strip may be removed, as the initial step in opening the can, without disturbing the seal between the collar and the can so that the final opening step of detaching the reclosure portion which inherently breaks the seal, may be delayed or postponed to the time when the final opening may be hurriedly effected. An exemplary use of such a container is as an ammunition c c mtainer by thearmed forces in the field.

Numerous other objects and advantages of theinvention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tearing strip can with interior collar embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the upper portion of the can illustrated in Fig. 1; and

.Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View of the internal collar and sealing gasket shown in Fig. 2. As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawing illustrates a sheet metal can preferably made of tin plate or the like material and comprising a cylindrical tubular body II' (Fig. l) and top and bottom end members I2, I3 respectively.

The body H preferably is made from a single blank of material having its side edges inter.- folded and soldered in the usual manner to provide a side seam I 5 having a lock portion I6 and a lap portion IT. The lap portion I! is disposed adjacent the upper end of the can to provide a smooth cylindrical inner surface for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

Adjacent the upper end of the can and cutting across the lap portion of the side seam, the side wall of the body II is formed with a pair of spaced and parallel score lines I8, I9 which extend completely around the body and set off between them a removable tearing strip 2I' which terminates at the side seam I5 in the usual manner with a projecting tongue 22. A conventional slotted key 23 secured to the top end member I2 is provided for use in removing the tearing strip in the conventional manner.

The top and bottom end members I2, I3 preferably are of the countersunk panel type having inner peripheral countersink walls 25 (Fig. 2) and outer peripheral flanges 26 which enclose the top and bottom edges of the body. The outer peripheral flanges 26 are interfolded with similar flanges 21 on the body to secure the end members in place in conventional outwardly projecting double seams 28. A compound lining material may be incorporated in the seams to provide a hermetic joint.

To provide the can with a reclosure member after removalof the tearing strip 2|, an annular internal collar BI is disposed within the bod II adjacent the score lines I8, I9. This collar 3I is slightly less in diameter than the inside diameter of the body so that its outer surface is in spaced relation to the inner surface of the body. The upper marginal edge portion of the collar projects upwardly above the tearing strip 2| and extends into the end seam 28 of the top end member I2, between the countersink wall 25 of the top end member I2 and the side wall of the body I'I, terminating in a short flange 32 interfolded with the flanges 25, 27 and thus locked inthe seam 28 adjacent its top edge. The collar is thus permanently incorporated in the end seam 2B of the top end member I2 and neck section 33 merges into a depending and'in wardly inclined or angularly disposed U-shaped channel section 35 which constitutes the lower terminal edge of the collar and which is crimped over and thus permanently grips and holds in place, the inner edge of a resilient hermetic sealing ring or gasket 36.

The gasket 36 preferably is made of rubber or like material and extends outwardly and upwardly at an angle of substantially l5 degrees as best shown in Fig. 3. In sealing position in the can, as shown in Fig. 2, the outer free marginal edge portion of the sealing gasket 36 engages or is compressed against and extends upwardly in cup fashion along the inner smooth surface of the side wall of the body Ii, being disposed in the clearance recess st in the collar and contacting the body side Wall below the tearing strip and well withinthe region of the lap section ii of the body side seam l5.

In such a construction, the inherent resiliency of the gasket 36 presses the outer marginal edge portion of the gasket tightly against the inner surface of the side wall of the body l l and thus provides a substantially hermetic seal between the portion of the can which houses the contents and the portion of the can disposed between the tearing strip 2! and the outer surface of the collar 3i. Hence when the tearing strip 2! is removed or torn out, as the initial the can to gain access to its contents may be accomplished quickly when required. In any case, the removal of the tearing strip 2! leaves the upper marginal edge portion of the body side wall and the top end member l2 including its end seam 28, and the collar ill with its sealing gasket 36 all permanently secured together as a unitary structure which constitutes a reclosure member with the sealing gasket 36 still in contact with the inner surface of the body side wall and thus protects the contents of the can.

To fully open the can this reclosure member is merely lifted out of the can body. This removal of the reclosure member withdraws the compressed sealing gasket 38 from the body and permits it to flex outwardly into its original flat shape as shown in Fig. 3. To reclose the can, the reclosure member may be replaced into the body. In such a reclosing position the sealing gasket 36 again returns to a compressed cup shape and closely engages the inner surface of the side wall of the body and thus re-establishes the original seal to protect the contents remaining in the can.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal tearing strip container, comprising a tubular body, an end member secured to said body in a double seam, a tearing strip integrally formed in the side wall of said body adjacent said end member, said tearing strip being removable from said body for separating said end member from said body to open the container, a separate collar disposed within said body adjacent the body side wall and having a marginal edge portion extending into and permanently locked in said double seam for uniting said collar with said end member for detachment therewith when the tearing strip is removedfor providing a reclosure unit for said container after opening, said collar being wider than and terminating inwardly of said tearing strip, and a sealing gasket carried by said collar and engaging against the inner surface of the side wall of said body in a region inwardly of said tear ing strip and providing a substantially hermetic seal between said collar and the portion of the body inwardly of said tearing strip for protecting the contents of the container against containination subsequent to as well as prior to removal of said tearing strip and during use of said end member as a reclosure.

2. The container as defined in claim 1 in which the end member is formed with a countersunk panel having a peripheral countersink wall merging into a peripheral flange enclosing a marginal edge portion of the body side wall, the flange being interfolded with the marginal edge portion of the body side wall to produce a double seam permanently uniting the end member to the body and in which the marginal edge portion of the collar extends into the region between the countersink wall of the end member and the adjacent side wall of the body and is interfolded with the flange of the end member and the marginal edge portion of the body side wall to permanently unite the collar with the end member for detachment therewith when the tearing strip is removed for providing a reclosure unit for said container after opening.

3. The container as defined in claim 1 in which the marginal edge portion of the collar inwardly of the tearing strip is spaced inwardly to provide a clearance recess between the collar and the body side wall and in which the terminal edge of the collar is crimped over and tightly holds the inner marginal edge portion of a resilient sealing gasket extending toward the-inner surface of the body side wall at an angle thereto and being compressed in said clearance recess in cup fashion with the gasket in sealing engagement with the inner surface of said body side wall.

4. The container as defined in claim 1 in which the collar adjacent the tearing strip is disposed in spaced relation to the inner surface of the body side wall and in which the sealing gasket carried by said collar extends beyond the outer peripheral surface of said collar for resilient sealing engagement with the inner surface of said body side wall.

WALTER J. DOBBINS 3m).

No references cited. 

